2001 Ford Escape Owner's Manual - Page 147
2001 Ford Escape Manual
Page 147 highlights
Driving shifting will resume within a few hundred kilometers (miles) of operation. Your automatic overdrive transaxle provides fully automatic operation in OVERDRIVE OFF/ON either D (Overdrive) or with the O/D OFF switch depressed. Driving with the gearshift lever in D (Overdrive) gives the best fuel economy for normal driving conditions. For manual control, start in 1 (First) and then shift manually. To put your vehicle in gear, start the engine, depress the brake pedal, then move gearshift lever out of P ODO (Park). R D21 Understanding gearshift positions P (Park) Always come to a complete stop before shifting into P (Park). Make sure the gearshift lever is securely latched in P (Park). This locks the transaxle and prevents the front wheels from rotating. R D21 ODO Always set the parking brake fully and make sure the gearshift is latched in P (Park). Turn off the ignition whenever you leave your vehicle. R (Reverse) With the gearshift lever in R (Reverse), the vehicle will move backward. You should always come to a complete stop before shifting into and out of R (Reverse). R D21 ODO 147